Official Denies Report of Iran’s Assent to JCPOA Revision

In a message on his Twitter account on Tuesday, Parviz Esmaeili, the deputy chief of staff of the Iranian president, said what Reuters has reported about Iran’s readiness for changes in the JCPOA was “not correct.”

“What is correct is (Iran’s) readiness to shorten the length of implementation of the JCPOA,” he tweeted.

Esmaeili explained that Iran was ready for the final stage of the JCPOA, namely the commitments planned for 2023, as already mentioned by Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

The presidential official noted that the ratification of the Additional Protocol by the Iranian Parliament could take place simultaneously with the ultimate lifting of sanctions by the US Congress, which would allow for negotiations within the framework of the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the UK, France, Germany, and the US).

Reuters reported on Tuesday that President Rouhani has told media in New York that he will be open to discuss with major powers “small changes, additions or amendments” to nuclear deal if sanctions were taken away.

Iranian officials have already made it clear that the JCPOA will be never subject to re-negotiations, noting that the US could once again attend the JCPOA multilateral meetings if it removes the sanctions on Tehran.